1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to environmental control systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and in particular, to improved systems and methods for acquiring and communicating diagnostic information about HVAC system components.
2. Background
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system broadly refers to equipment designed and configured to control one or more environmental conditions in a building, such as, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, air quality, or the like. An HVAC system is generally equipped with a number of HVAC components, which can be broadly divided into two types: controllers and demand devices. Examples of a controller are a thermostat and an HVAC system controller. Examples of demand devices include an air handler, condenser, evaporator, heat pump, furnace, chiller, one or more dampers, and so forth, which interact to provide the desired environmental condition within a facility. The function and control of the HVAC demand devices are typically adjusted by controller such as a thermostat or HVAC controller, which may include a number of sensors, such as temperature sensors, air quality sensors, and so forth. Controllers may include scheduling capabilities to adjust the operation of the HVAC system based upon time of day, day of week, and so forth. In some HVAC systems, controllers and demand devices communicate using switched 24V control signals, which will be familiar to one skilled in the art. In other HVAC systems, a digital communication protocol may be employed.
It is well-known that an HVAC system needs proper maintenance to ensure proper and efficient operation, and, occasionally, diagnosis and repair may be needed to correct failures. However, in the case of traditional 24V-controlled HVAC systems, very little diagnostic information is readily available to a service technician, who often must rely solely on troubleshooting skills, pressure gauges, and digital multimeters to isolate faults. A technician working in this manner has a limited perspective, which does not necessarily give a complete overview of the system's condition.